Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck, John

first British edition. London, Heinemann, 1937, first British edition, first printing, dust jacket. Hardcover.

Blue pictorial jacket designed and illustrated by Michael Rothenstein printed in pink and black and with pink endpapers and top edge stained pink (Goldstone & Payne state that the top edge is stained blue with the jacket printed in black only, noting a variant in a white jacket printed in pink and black with the top edge stained pink and with pink endpapers), G&P A7c, Morrow 60, this copy with the rare and unrecorded wrap-around band noting that 137,000 copies were sold in America with translations appearing in France, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, with an excerpt from James Agate writing for the "Daily Express," this copy is Inscribed by the author ("For Guy G. B. Reedy/John Steinbeck"), Steinbeck has also drawn a small duck on the wrap-around band and noted "what beauty" on the front pastedown, and where the front jacket flap notes that the book is "Decorated by Michael Rothenstein" Steinbeck has amended it to "& J.S.," Reedy and Steinbeck became friends during his very early years in New York where they both worked as construction workers when the old Madison Square Garden was being built, they remained friends for decades, and Steinbeck would inscribed all his first editions for Reedy, now housed in a custom cloth folder and case with leather spine with raised bands with author, title, etc. in gilt. Fine copy, especially scarce in this condition.